Kansas Democrats this afternoon elected Jeanna Repass, Overland Park, as chair of the Kansas Democratic Party, 122-107 over former state Sen./ Lt. Gov./State Treasurer Lynn Rogers, Wichita.

The vote at a packed Washington Days Democrat convention at Ramada by Wyndham Topeka Downtown saw Repass, an unsuccessful candidate for secretary of state in the 2022 election, defeat Rogers, who was appointed treasurer by Gov. Laura Kelly. Repass garnered a wide range of endorsements from Kelly, Third District U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan., House Minority Leader Vic Miller, D-Topeka, Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, and Labor and Young Democrats party councils.

Repass, who has been a financial manager for news media, is Kansas’ first Black/Latina Democrat chair.

Repass said it is vital for Democrats to adequately fund campaigns and battle at every point Republicans who are “moving to the right” in their party philosophy.

The party, with its requirement that the chair and vice chair be of different sexes, elected as vice chair on a unanimous voice vote Shaun Junkins, Wichita, a director of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Former four-year Democrat Chair Vicki Hiatt, after stepping down from that post, was elected state party treasurer, and current party treasurer Yolanda Taylor was elected secretary.